Ring tool



June 17, 1930. M BRAMBERRY 1,764,146

RING TOOL Filed May 14, 1927 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I v1v OR 13 Y Q/ATTORNEY June 17, 1930. H. M. BRAMBERRY 1,764,145

RING TOOL Filed May 14. 1927 s Sheets-Sheet 2 June 17, 1930. H, M,BRAMBERRy 1,764,146

RING TOOL Filed May 14, 1927 s Sheets-Sheet 5 k Y b &

' m E "3 5 m "3 "q Q w Patented June 17, 1930 HARRY M. BRAMBERRY,

RING

Application filed May 14,

This invention relates to a ring tool for use in applying piston ringsto the ring grooves of a plston and in reniovlng the rings Cir from thepiston.

Piston rings are made with their inner diameters smaller than the outerdiameter of the piston on which they are to be used in order that theymay fit properly into the ring grooves. It is therefore necessary toexpand the rings beyond their normal diameter in order to slip them overthe piston and place them in the ring grooves. This is done in ordinarypractice by merely spreading the ring laterally, so that the bendingaction is limited to a small section of the ring directly opposite thecut, and as a result the metal of this section is often stretched beyondits elastic limit and the ring is thereby permanently deformed.

In order to overcome these defects the present invention provides a formwhich is placedaround the ring and in which the ring is expanded intosubstantially circular shape. The tool therefore provides adefinitelimit to the amount of expansion permitted, and insures that the bendingwill be distributed practically uniformly around the ring, therebyeliminating distortion.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the tool being applied to remove a ring from apiston groove;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 after the ring has been partlyexpanded;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1 showing the ring fullyexpanded, parts being broken away; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective showing details of construction. J

Fig. 6 is a plan View partly in section of a ring tool for expanding acomplete set of rings at one operation.

Fig. 7 is a section on line 77 of Figure 6 Fig. 8 is a section on line8-8 of Figure 6.

Fig. 9 is a section on line .99 of Figure 7.

Referring to the drawings more specifically, the tool is composedchiefly of the grooved collar 10 and the two operating le-' vers 11. Themain part 12 of each operating lever is semi-circular in shape and 1s ofa thickness permitting it to fit slidably w.1th1n ?PATENT' oF'FIcE 1927.Serial No. 191,329.

a groove 13 formed in the outer face of the collar 10. The lower endofthe semi-circular part 12 carries a projecting handle 14 and is formedwith a slot 15 just above the base of the handle. A rivet or set screw16 passes through the slot 15 and is stationarily secured to collar 10.j i

The upper end of the part -12 is provided with a finger 17 adapted toextend inwardly through a slot 18 formed in the bottom of the groove 13.An outwardly projecting ear 19 is formed on the upper end of the part12, and a tension spring 20 is secured to each of the ears 19 and holdsthe operating le-Y vers in the position shown in Fig. 1 with the fingers17 in contact, with the handles 14 separated. The face of each fingerdirectly opposite the other finger is the operating face, and theseoperating faces are formed at an angle to each other, so that they arecloser together at their roots than at their free ends.

The lower part of the collar 10 carries an inwardly projecting flange 21upon which the ring is adapted to lie.

A notch 22 is formed in the upper rim of V the collarlO at a pointbetween the handles to permit insertion of a finger to lift the ringinto engagement with the fingers 17 when removing the ring froma piston.

Fig. 1 illustrates the use of a tool in removing a ring from a piston.The tool is placed over the piston in the position shown, andsince thefingers 17 lie outside the piston diameter, it is necessary to insert afinger into notch 22 and lift the ring until the fingers 17 extend intothe gap of the ring as shown in Fig. 1. Pressure is then applied tohandles 14, thereby spreading the fingers 17 and expanding the ring tothe position illustrated in Fig. 2. In this position the major portionof the ring is in contact with the inner circular wall of the collar10,but the extreme ends of the ring are still curved inwardly away from thecollar. With the application of slight. additional pressure upon thehandles the ends of the ring are forcedto ride up the inclined faces ofthe fingers 17 andthe ring is forced into contact with the collar asindicated in Fig.4. The

ton.

vice for handling a single ring, as duplicate.

ring is now free of the slipped over the piston.

. It will be obvious that the operations are merely reversed in placinga ring on the pis- The invention is not limited to a degroove and may.he

sets of operating levers may be provided and operated simultaneouslyito'remove or a 1 apply a lurality of rings.

By expanding the ring into contactvvit'h' a circular, or substantiallycirculan form the 7 amount of bending given the ring is reduced to aminimum and is evenly distributed around the ring, while the formprovides a positive stop'and prevents careless workmen from opening thering beyond the-necessary minimum V Y In the species of. Figs. 6-9, thering tool comprises a 'cylindrical form,the upper part with the ringgrooves of the piston 31 and 25 of whichishinge'd at 26 to the lowerhalf" 27.] Near its forward end the lower half 27 "iscu't away to form agroove 28, and a semi-circular guide-piece 29 is fitted into the,groove. The'innerface of the guide-piece is formed with grooves 30arranged to mate the hinged section 25 carries similar grooves 32." IThe pair'of expanding'members 33 are mounted between-the guide-piece '29and the groove 28 and are'ada'pted to be spread apart cireumferentiallyto expand the rings. For this purpose they carry fingers 34 projectingj" inwardly through the slots 35 formed. in the bottom of each ringgroove '30fand have portions-36'arranged to .slid'ein lguideways 37formed in the guide piece 29$ An operating I ear 38- 'extendsdownwardly". from each expending member 33' and a cam wedge; 39 ismountedin' t-he base 27 and adapted; to'slide' between the ears 38.;Theforward part of cam-39fcarries a narrow flat'portion lO'thatremains.between the ears '88 at all times and the members 33ijin expandingposition.

I actsfias astop to holdthe ears in'neutra'l posi- 7 tion, while thewide part of the cam is formed with'fla'ts '41 tli'atfact as stops tohold Handle 42 provides means for operating the cam. 39."- Spring-'pressed- "pl'unger's ,43- are mounted'in the. base" 27 transversely ofits axisand engage the ears 38 ,to' normally press themtoward eachother;

A "transverse bar 44 extends across the front-endof' the base 27 and anadjustable stop screw .t5' provides means foraccuratelypositioningthe'piston in the holder."

The'hinged section 25isjprovided with an and locked and the wedge 39 ismoved to spreadthe ears 38 and expand the rings into the form. A pistonis then inserted in the form to the position of Fig. 7, and uponreleasing the'wedge, the rings will be per-f grooves of the mitted toseat in the ring piston. V

Iclaim': p 1. A ring tool comprising a grooved'collar 'adaptedtosurround a split ring, a pair of operatingleversmounted'ln the groove ofthe collar, each lever having an outwardly, projecting handle and aninwardly extending finger adapted toeXtend into the gap of the 2. A ringtool comprising a collar, there being a slot foi'med'radiallythrough'the wall of the collar and an operating lever mounted forsliding movement about the-collar; said;

lever having a 7 part projecting inwardly through the slot.

7 3. A ring tool comprising a'collar, adaptedf to surround a split ring,afingerprojecting} inwardly from the collar and adapted to en gage oneend or the rlng, a second finger projecting inwardly from the collar andadapted to engage the other end of the ringrmeans for.

moving the second finger away from the first finger toth'ereby expandthe ring into contact.

. with the collar, and resilient means normally" pressing the fingerstoward each other.

4. A ring tool comprising a collar, there being a slot formed radiallythrough the wall of the collar, a groove formed in the outer wall of thecollar, a pair of operating levers mounted for sliding movement in thegroove, ahandle formed on each operating lever, and

a finger formed on each operating lever and V projecting inwardlythrough the slot.

7 5. A ring tool'comprising a collar, there being a slot formed radiallythrough the wall ofthe collar, a groove formed in the outer f wall ofthe collar a flange extending'inw'ardly through the lower edge of thecollar, a pair of operating levers mounted for sliding movement in thegroove, a handle formed" on each operating lever, a finger formed oneach operating lever and projecting inwardly through the slot, an earprojecting outwardly from each of the operating levers, a' spring;

having its opposite ends attached toeach ear,

and there being a notch'formed side of the collar. g i H 6. A ringtoolzconiprisinga collaradapted' to surround a split ring, a fi'n gerprojecting. inwardly from the collar andadapted to engage one end oftheringja second fingerpro jecting inwardly from the collar and adapted toengage the jotherend-of the ring, the face 1 of each finger which,engages the ring being tool is in its initial operating position:

- 7; A ringtoolcomprisinga body of a hol low cylindricalform' adapted toreceive a 130 plurality of piston rings a single me ans operin the upperI inclined away fromthe other-finger when'tlie 3 p i able to expand therings simultaneously into contact with the body, and means for locatinga piston within said body.

8. A ring tool comprising a rigid collar adapted to surround a splitring, a finger pro jecting inwardly from the collar and adapted toengage one end of the ring, a second finger projecting inwardly from thecollar and adapted to engage the other end of the ring, a handleextending outwardly from the collar, said handle being secured in fixedrelation to the first finger, and a second handle extending outwardlyfromthe collar and connected to the second finger, the parts being soarranged that when the two handles are pressed together the fingers areseparated to expand the ring into contact with the collar.

9. A ring tool comprising a rigid collar adapted to surround a splitring, a finger projecting inwardly from the collar and adapted to engageone end of the ring, a second finger projecting inwardly from the collarand adapted to engage the other end of the ring, a handle extendingoutwardly from the collar, said handle being secured in fixed relationto the first finger, and a second handle extending outwardly from thecollar and connected to the second finger, a spring member normallypressing the fingers toward each other, the parts being so arranged thatwhen the two handles are pressed together the fingers are separated toexpand the ring into contact with the collar.

10. A ring tool comprising a rigid collar adapted to surround a splitring, a pair of semi-circular members adapted to slide about the collar,each of the semi-circular members carrying at one end a handle and atthe opposite end a finger adapted to extend within the collar to engagea split ring, and a resilient member normally pressing the fingerstoward each other, the handles lying in close proximity to each other sothat theoperator can compress them with one hand to expand the ring intocontact with the collar.

11. A ring tool comprising a rigid collar adapted to surround a splitring, a pair of fingers adapted to extend within the collar to engagethe ends of the ring, means to separate the fingers to expand the ringinto contact with the collar, the collar having a portion cut away at apoint opposite the fingers to permit the operator to move the ring intoengagement with the fingers.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HARRY M. BRAMBERRY.

